Association of Mental Health Providers, NSUN, and Mind have jointly produced a thought-piece outlining how voluntary, community and social enterprise sector (VCSE) organisations can meaningfully contribute to the provision of peer support in mental health; and offer practical examples of the diverse ways in which this is already happening.

We argue that the knowledge, skills, experience and resources of the VCSE sector are valuable in establishing a network of peer support within and across local communities and outline the benefits of creating links and working in partnership between NHS peer support and local VCSE organisations, with some examples of good practice.

As a thought piece, the document is designed to be thought-provoking and offer perspectives on critical issues regarding Peer Support Workers and the wider health and social care system.

This work has been commissioned by Health Education England with the aim of making a helpful contribution to understanding, planning and expanding the presence of Peer Support Workers in health and care settings.